


Waves

by moe20112233



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Love, M/M, beach themes, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-24 00:31:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20017309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moe20112233/pseuds/moe20112233
Summary: Keith just had to look all beautiful in the sun. And of course, Lance can't keep his mouth shut.





	Waves

**Author's Note:**

> This is a part of the 'Hey There Sharpshooter Bang'! I'm super excited to have been a part of it, huge thanks to my beta! [Leandralena](https://twitter.com/leandralena)
> 
> My wonderful artist can be found: https://kaylee-schuyler.tumblr.com/post/186626961684/i-was-so-happy-to-be-apart-of-the-hey-there

To Lance, sunset on a beach felt like a warm campfire slowly burning and fading out over the course of a relaxing evening. The rays still shone lightly over the horizon, the forbidden edge where the sky met the sea, providing a gentle glow to the space around. Waves crashed on the California bay. Rocks sending salt and mist bounding through the air, like rain that couldn’t quite reach back to the heavens. The sand, hot and smooth to the touch, akin to an inviting blanket one might curl around themselves at bed time. Something to dig his feet into and wiggle his toes beneath. Sunset on the beach was Lance’s favorite moment to watch.

Often he watched alone, selfishly not wanting to share the secluded bay he’d found. Other people would only cause distractions, and the sunset was something that required his full attention. He would make jokes to his siblings, that if he missed the sunset the ocean would be angry with him. It would rage and roar over the loss of it’s forbidden child of the land. It would toss and turn, sink ships and destroy beaches- and it would be his fault because he wasn’t there. Lance would never miss those oranges and yellows fading into a dancing array of purples, pinks, and blues.  
Tonight, more than anything, this was where Lance needed to be. Alone with his thoughts on the warm beach where he grew up. Able to lose himself in the moment, rather than dwell on past events of the day. The day that was so royally fucked. He flopped his head into the sand, unwilling to let his mind relive the past few hours for the millionth time since he’d arrived. It wasn’t fair. Life wasn’t fair. 

“Why the hell doesn’t anything ever work out the way I want it to?”, he asked the empty sky above him. Some silly part of him had hoped the clouds would rearrange themselves to formulate an answer for him, but the sky remained frustratingly plain. Lance didn’t like to dwell on his own misfortune, though in fairness he was pretty sure no one else liked to either, but his mind had a tendency to race on and on with thoughts of inadequacy. Like the answer to his question was ‘because you’re not good enough’. The sun was beginning it’s final descent, five more minutes and it would disappear beyond the water. Never to be seen until morning time, and that would take hours. Hours without the sun was dangerous at a time like this. 

Plagued by rejection, he felt pathetic. He wasn’t supposed to fall this hard until college, not senior year when he was two months away from graduating. Two months away from leaving. He’d known that would have held other people back, but of course Lance McClain and his impossibly loud heart couldn’t leave anything unsaid before graduation. And that includes love. “I’m not even the impulsive one! He’s supposed to be the impulsive one!”. Lance groaned to himself. But their team had won the game, and Keith had just smiled, so unfairly and thanked Lance for the win. Lance didn’t do anything but show up and cheer him on, and when he voiced as much the response he got had done him no favors, ‘I played my best cause I saw you in the crowd. I wanted to win for you.’. 

Of course like the walking cliche that he was, his heart had stopped in that moment, just as the rest of the football team came by to whisk their quarterback away Lance had let the words ‘I love you’ tumble from his mouth. He was met with laughter. Judging eyes from the football team scanned over him as they all laughed in his face a cacophony of, ‘Yeah right like he’d go out with a twink like you’ and ‘just another attention whore, looking for your 15 minutes before highschool is up?’. All the while, Keith didn’t say anything, just looked at lance while he was dragged away to the locker room by his team.

“Stop thinking about it and it’ll go away!”, lance said, punching the ground beneath him. Its way into his eyes. He’d hoped he wouldn’t cry that night, a battle he knew he’d lose eventually, but one he didn’t think he’d lose like this. The tears may have started as a bodily reaction to the grains of dust in his eyes, but they quickly diluted into a mournful song for his best friend, the one whom he loved. 

The breeze picked up as the last of the sun's delicious golden rays faded into nothingness. Goosebumps prickled along his skin and he mentally cursed himself for not wearing a coat. His heart sank when he remembered that he’d left his coat at Keith’s house after a late night study session, and would likely never see it returned. “Pretty pathetic McClain.”, he resigned himself to that final thought. Lance looked over his shoulder up the hill and towards his house, he could faintly see the various figures of his family setting the dinner table. He wanted to go, but couldn’t seem to find the will to move his legs from where they remained buried. “It’s because it was during the day.”, he made the excuse, “It’s because for once in all of fucking high school the football game was at four instead of seven and he was in the sun and smiling- and Keith never smiles in the sun-”, he huffed and cursed at himself. He was supposed to drop it at pathetic, but clearly he had more steam. 

“Get a grip Lance. It’s because you’re stupidly, hopelessly, unbelievably in love.”, Lance could remember the first time he’d called it love. The flutter he felt in his fingertips when that four letter word found its way into his journal entry. The swooping feeling in his stomach that made him feel like he was on a roller coaster ride. The first time he associated Keith with love, he felt giddy. As if that sixteen year old with a diary had reverted back to twelve and he was reliving his ‘bi-awakening’ at Jenny Rourke’s birthday party. Now, at eighteen, he wished to be back in that sixteen year old body, and crush the word before it ever made its way onto the page. Gazing up at the clouds and stars beginning to freckle the sky he bit his cheek, “Love bites”.

“Sure does.”, Lance was startled by a gruff and familiar voice. It sent heat racing down his spine as wide eyed, he looked up at Keith who has just stepped down from the parking lot on top of the hill. Even in the dark Lance could see the glint of a bright red motorcycle. The one Keith had been fixing up with his older brother since they were ten. He couldn’t count the amount of times Keith had shown up to school with grease stains on his face, claiming that it looked cool, but scoffing when Lance insinuated it added to the ‘emo’ vibe. It was common knowledge that Keith never took his bike to the after parties (That is, if he went at all) and upon realising Keith had come directly to him, he felt his heart do a summersault. With hands shoved inside his letterman jacket, and boots that were clearly not made for walking on sand, Keith trudged down the beach until he was level with Lance and sat down. 

There was a long beat of silence, something that wasn’t uncommon between the two having known each other so long, but tonight was different. Obviously tonight was different. Tonight was different in the way Lance’s breathing was uneven. In the way his head turned down, and in the way the kid who got a name for being tall- tried to make himself seem small. “How’d you find me?”, Lance asked, as if anything he did could be a mystery to Keith. As if he hadn’t told Keith every damn secret he’d ever kept. But he still asked, as if to quell the real question sitting heavy on his tongue. 

“You always come here.”, Keith said. The words when you’re upset went unsaid, “Thank you for coming to the game today. It meant a lot.”

“Sure.”, there was another bout of silence. Lance tried willing himself to stay quiet, but his mouth tended to not let him do that. Growing up in a large family there was always noise, the quiet unnerved him. Quiet was dangerous, “Why aren’t you at Lotor’s? ‘M sure they’re missing their Quarterback at the celebration party.”, It was his way of deflecting, of keeping the target on Keith and to lessen the large red one painted on his own back. Anything to not acknowledge what had happened at the end of the game. Anything. 

“Lotor’s a dick, so are most of the other guys on the team.” Keith attempted to reach out and graze Lance’s hand with his own, but the second their pinkies brushed Lance pulled his hand away and buried it beneath the sand. He hadn’t meant to, but it came as a reflex. Keith’s shoulders visibly slumped, but he didn’t mention it. Their silence was overshadowed once again by the sounds of a rather large wave crashing against the beach. This time it was so large it almost reached where they sat. If Lance had wanted to,he could have reached out his leg and dipped his toes in the now dampened sand. 

He pondered when the ocean had gotten so beautiful, or maybe it was the stars that reflected off of them. Maybe it was the fact that Pidge had finally stopped going on about how much fecal matter was in the water, but for some reason, Lance felt the incredible urge to submerge himself in the deep blue and never surface. He momentarily entertained some childish dream of living with mermaids instead of having to face the truth that Keith was just here to let him down easy. 

“We should go in”, Keith pronounced,once more startling him out of his thoughts. 

“We don’t have swim suits.”, Lance pointed out as Keith horrendously began throwing his wallet, phone and keys out of his pockets. 

“Has that ever stopped us before?”, Keith’s jacket fell to the floor with the words and he kicked off his boots before running into the water, clothes and all. 

Lance couldn’t help the small laugh that bubbled from within his chest, the warmth around his heart a welcoming feeling against the cold of the California night, “You’re ridiculous.”

“Again, ever stopped us before?” He splashed a little water as far upshore as he could before getting knocked on his ass by a large unexpected wave. The small bubble of a laugh popped and Lance was heaving as Keith’s mullet unceremoniously flopped into his face, wet and covered in small pieces of washed up seaweed. 

“You look so stupid!”, he breathed through his smile. 

“C’mon chicken, you gonna get in or not!” Lance knew he was being goaded, and that this was nothing but a ploy by Keith to lighten the mood but dammit it was working. This was what their relationship was built on after all, competition. 

“You wish Kogane.”, And just like that Lance was in the icy blue as well. However unlike Keith, instead of being made a fool by Poseidon and his seven seas, Lance glided through the water as if he belonged there. It should come as no surprise really, the boy practically lived at the beach both metaphorically and literally. He loved that he could smell sea salt from his bedroom window.  
They fell into a race, one that neither had really prompted yet somehow they both fell victim to the allure of competition. They had no real goal or destination, but all Lance knew was he wasn’t thinking about the game anymore, and he was okay with that. He knew his parents would be upset that he didn’t come home for dinner, but he also knew that he was having fun, so he didn’t care. The danger crept back in when the race had ended, and they both emerged from the water. Faces flushed red, and chests heaving breathlessly as they trudged back towards the shore, “I won.”, Lance boasted. 

“There was no finish line, so we don’t really know who won.”

“I did. Plain and simple.”

“Well you’re smiling again, so I’d say I won too.”, and at that comment Lance’s love came crashing down again. Why he was in love in the first place, because of that selfless nature. That big heart that shut itself out to the rest of the world, Lance felt so special when it shone bright on him. Why was he so lucky that he got trouble maker Keith Kogane to be his friend? 

His thoughts turned inwards once more, reliving the pitying look he’d been given by Keith as he was dragged away to the locker rooms, ‘He doesn't feel the same’, Lance repeated that mantra in his head just to keep from keeling over on the sand. The grains of sand were sticking to his wet feet, “I- uhm, I have some towels… in my car. ‘S kinda cold, so we could sit in there and warm up…”. 

“Sure.”, and just like that the spell of the ocean had been broken. They were both back on dry land and hopelessly unprepared. Once inside the car Lance jacked up the heat. He was so cold, the water was freezing and the night’s breeze did nothing to help on the walk over. Shivering and shaking beneath his towel, he prayed for the climate control in his shitty 2007 toyota to work faster, “Do you want my jacket?”

Lance’s heart nearly stopped. He’d worn Keith’s jacket before, that was no big deal. The amount of times Lance had stolen Keith’s jacket and paraded around a McDonalds after a 2 AM study session was insurmountable. But to have it actually offered was a rarity. He could vividly remember the only two times it had ever been offered to him. The first, after during freshman year, when Lance’s grandmother had passed. Keith had found Lance outside on the curb during the wake, and wrapped his jacket around his shoulders as he sobbed. The second, on the night of their arguably, biggest fight. When Keith had caught Lance’s girlfriend, Nyma, making out with a fellow football player, Rolo, after a game. Needless to say, Lance had been heartbroken and in his anger, blamed Keith calling him a liar. But that jacket had calmed him down more than anything. 

Keith’s jacket was like fire, like a million embers burning as bright as the sun. Like a cocoon of heat, wrapped up in a woven material. It always smelled like the woods. Lance never knew how, considering Keith never ventured past the freaking ice cream shop, but he always smelled like cedar and pine, like oak and crunchy fall leaves. Lance nodded, and felt the weight of that jacket like an elephant. That jacket meant this night was serious, it meant that this wasn’t just a ‘Lance is cold’ thing. This was rejection. 

“THANK YOU- NEXT! THANK YOU- NEXT!”, the radio blared. At this point he wasn’t even trying to be subtle, Lance wanted to stop Keith from speaking as quickly as possible. He couldn’t hear it. He just couldn’t hear his best friend- The love of his life- tell him it wouldn’t work. So instead, he turned up the dial and let Ariana Grande ring throughout the car. 

“Jesus Lance, do you want hearing problems?”, Keith asked. His hand swatted Lance’s away from the dial and Lance swore he saw God when their fingers brushed. The music faded down to a gentle hum in the background and though he may be freaking out internally, Lance’s ears were thankful for the new change. “You can see Neptune tonight. And Jupiter.”, And Lances eyes snapped towards the sky, scanning for the brightest spots, “Not yet though, not till around one AM.”

Lance’s shoulders slumped a bit in disappointment. Stargazing was something they did together often, what with both of them having an extreme love for astronomy and all it encompassed. He wanted to stargaze.

“Doubt you really want to stay out that long huh?”, Though the way it was phrased sounded less like a question and more like a sad statement.

“I’ll stay. I love watching the stars with you.”, Keith wrapped his hand around Lance’s and squeezed lightly, as if to say ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ Lance huffed and looked back towards the evening. Like a melody it sang above a four time stricken chord. Each star twinkling a new note into the air. 

“Please stop.”, Lance whispered. The words hot and hard to choke through the air, his throat burning with every syllable and eyes welling with tears. His hand came out from Keith’s grip to wipe at his face, “Don’t do that.”

“Do what-”

“Don’t hold my hand, don’t- just, please don’t do all that couple-y shit when you don’t feel the same.”, Taking a breath Lance attempted to steady himself, “It’s not fair to be led on. Not by you.”

“So you meant it?”

“Why would I say it if I didn’t mean it?”

“...”, When Lance looked over, Keith was hunched down, gaze stuck on the blue raspberry slushie stain in the floor, “I just- I- I don’t know…”, He mumbled something Lance thought resembled something akin to the word moron, but he wasn’t sure, “I don’t really hear that from many people, guess it was hard for me to believe.”

“Well believe it.”, He huffed angrily. 

“I’m sorry-”

“You don’t feel the same. I know.”

“I’m sorry the guys said those awful things to you.”, He corrected, “I’m sorry I didn’t stop them… I’m sorry that this whole night you’ve probably been terrified… If it’s any consolation I was too.”

“Don’t worry, ‘m not gonna let my feelings get in the way of our friendship. Obviously things will be different, but I just-”

“You know you’re a shit listener Lance.”, Startled Lance finally looked at him. Needless to say he was surprised when he saw the captain of the football team flushed as red as his team jacket, “I’ve told three people I’ve loved them. My mom, dad, and Shiro… My mom disappeared, my dad died, and the second I was eighteen Shiro had to leave for the army. I’m just, used to the people I love leaving I guess… So I get scared, whenever someone says it to me. I freeze up a little. I don’t want to lose you.”

“You’ll never lose me, you know that.”

“Doesn’t make me any less scared… You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, you set me straight when I was probably on my way juvy. But- I want all of it with you, all the couple-y shit. Love just… scared me.”

“It scares me too. We just- have to jump in, together y’know?”, For the second time that evening Lance put his all too fragile heart out on the line. He’d always been told that one day his heart would get him into trouble, that his all trusting and loving personality would only lead to heartbreak. He hoped and prayed to every God he could think of that this was not the moment all those prophecies came to fruition. His throat felt suddenly very dry as his heart pounded and he waited for an answer, that salty sea ahead now seeming like a cool and refreshing drink and he desperately wished he could shove his head back underwater and drown himself in. 

“I-...”, Keith paused for a moment, considering his words carefully, “I’m not very good at jumping… but I suppose that’s never stopped either of us before.”

A warm palm slipped into Lance’s hand and squeezed tightly, a thousand words crammed into one simple gesture. A million thoughts transferred from palm to palm and suddenly Lance felt his knees go weak from their place in the front seat, “I didn’t want to tell you today… or ever for that matter.”

“I was planning on telling you at graduation… It just, seemed like the right time since I- I never actually thought you would end up feeling the same.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you’re perfect-”

“Then what does that make you?”

“Not anywhere near your league that’s for damn sure. Lance I don’t think you realise what a catch you are.”, Keith’s eyes bore into his soul, “You’re- gorgeous for one. Unfairly beautiful, I’m surprised you’ve never caught me staring… And sometimes, sometimes I stare for hours. Those study sessions at three in the morning when you’re half asleep on your english homework- you’re undeniably adorable. You’ve got this smile that- it just lights up a whole room. You light up a whole room. You’re kind to the point where we were late to school because you insisted that we couldn’t leave Ms. Jenkins to carry all of those flowers to her garden. And I may groan and complain about your stupid jokes every time you make one, but if you ever stopped I would kill you because they’re so damn funny!”, Keith’s free hand came up and cupped Lance’s cheek, “You’ve had a string of really shitty romantic partners who made you feel like you don’t deserve anything, but Lance you deserve someone who's gonna treat you like a prince every damn day.”

“And you don’t think you could do that?”

“I don’t think I could give a paper bag the kind of love it deserves. I’m pretty emotionally stunted if you hadn’t noticed.”

“I don’t need the royal treatment Keith, despite what you’ve seemed to have convinced yourself of, I’m not perfect. And- I’m not sure what I need. Kinda still too young to know that, but I know what I want. And I want you, stunted emotions and all.”, Lance smiled, “Plus pretty sure I’m easier to love than a paper bag, I mean at least I’ll text you back.”

“God you’re such an idiot.”, Keith laughed. At some point Lance noticed Keith’s hand had stopped squeezing so hard, his shaking lessened and their faces had moved impossibly closer. So close, that if he wanted to, he could tilt forward half an inch and close the remaining annoyance of a gap. Hot breath fanned over his lips, so close he could taste it.

“We’re idiots.”

“Idiots in love.”, And the gap was replaced by a million fireworks imploding in Lance’s mind. He’d always imagined Keith would kiss just like his exterior, rough and brash- and he was not disappointed. Keith kissed like Lance was air, and he couldn’t breath. The angle was a bit awkward in the car, causing Lance to suddenly question many teenage drama films he’d seen, but those questions were best saved for later because right now he and Keith were kissing. Finally, after so many years of unconscious want- and then two years of conscious pining, they were kissing.

Lance let out a small mewl when Keith bit at his lip. The football player pushed more and more, as if he couldn’t get enough of whatever drug Lance seemed to have coating his lips, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.”, Keith breathed as he dove in for more.

“Me too- years”, Lance managed to mumble out. All too soon Keith was pulling away. Lance found himself helplessly pawing for his wrists, “No- Come back please”, He begged, unwilling to let the moment fade away so quickly. 

“I just- I want to be fair to you.”, Keith assured, “I know I haven’t made tonight exactly easy for you. And I haven’t said it properly…”, Taking a steadying breath; Keith braced himself, “I love you Lance… So much, and I’m scared that now I’ve said it out loud I’m going to look up and you’ll disappear, but- if you’ll have me I’m ready to jump with you.”

“I’ll have you, I’ll always have you Keith. You’re my best friend, and that will never change.”

“S-so, does this mean we’re boyfriends now?”

“I hope so.”

“Good…”, They sat for another moment or so, blushing messes brewing in their own heat.

“Can I kiss you again? I think I might die if I don’t-”

“Yes please.”, Lance smiled knowing that Keith seemed to be just as eager as he was and swung his legs over the gearshift so he was straddling Keith’s waist in the passenger seat. Obviously, the football player wasn’t expecting such a bold move and his face showed it. Blush deepening and eyes widening, Lance quickly backtracked. “Oh- this was too much- I’m sorry I’ll just-”, He was cut off by the press of Keith’s hands to his waist. Fingers firm and confident from their resting place, and kneading circles into the slip of skin between Lance’s sopping wet shorts and tank top. This time tongues entered the mix, and suddenly Lance couldn’t stop thinking about taste. It wasn’t something he’d honestly pondered as much as one would have thought. He’d thought about touch, smell, and sound- but never taste.

Keith tasted like a drop of lemon in a cup of coffee. Sweet and bitter all at once, the right amount of punch to wake you up combined with the heat to lull you back to bed. Keith’s tongue moved expertly, reminding Lance of how little experience he’d had with guys. Only ever having been with one who was pretty submissive and girls- He wasn’t used to someone taking charge like this. But he had to admit, he liked it. Loved it in fact. He could feel himself beginning to melt against Keith’s flame like a candle. Instinctively, he ground his hips down against Keith’s and the grip around his waist tightened ever so slightly, “Fuck.”, Keith groaned beneath him.

“You’re hard-”, Lance pointed out feeling the bulge under his own growing one.

“Well, when you grind on me it gets a little hard to-”, Lance rolled his hips once more, smirking devilishly at the shudder he received from Keith, “You’re the devil you know that?”, the only response to that was more fervent and harder grinding. Lance could feel Keith getting harder and harder in his jeans. The fact that they were wet and sticking to every inch of skin only accentuated what he could feel through the clothing. With every grind Keith got bigger too. Lance had honestly never seen another mans dick in person- in a sexual context. He sometimes forgot that not everyone was the same size, so suddenly feeling something that was a good two or three inches bigger than him sent a delightful and spontaneous shiver down his spine.

They continued to clash mouths, spit sliding from tongue to tongue, “Hngph~”, Lance let slip when Keith’s hands moved down and around from his hips to grope at his butt.

“Fuck, you have a nice ass.”, Keith groaned into Lance’s neck, he lapped at the skin gauging every twitch of muscle before finding the right spot to sink his teeth into, “‘I’ve wanted to do this for so long- wanted you for years.”, Lance ran his hands through Keith’s hair, pulling and tugging as his neck was assaulted.

“W-wait-”, Lance said and stopped his grinding, “As much as I would really like to get off with you right now, I don’t want to have our first time be in my car.”

“Fair.”, Climbing back over the gear shift, Lance planted his butt back in his now cold seat. They caught their breath and watched over the water in the distance.

“See? Bet you’ve never had a steamy makeout session with a paper bag-”, Lance joked. Keith couldn’t help but notice how his lips were raw and red, perfect in his mind, “Unless of course you practiced on something other than your pillow.”, This earned him a punch to the shoulder, “Ow!”

“I don’t need to practice on my pillow.”

“Course not. Now you can practice on me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Taking a steadying breath Lance lowered his voice, “You’re my best friend Keith. You know that right?”

“Thought I was your boyfriend now-”

“You are. But, that just means that you’re my best friend who I also kiss and stuff now. Like I still wanna have our scary movie marathons, but this time when I get scared I can shove my face in your neck instead of under the blanket- or when we go mini-golfing with Hunk and Pidge I can still have a competition with you… but like the loser gets a kiss instead of a slap to the arm…”, It was evident even in the dim lighting of the moon through the window that Lance’s face was a bright rose at this point. His embarrassment shining through like a beacon to sailors across the sea. 

“You’ve thought about this a lot, huh?”

“Well… I’ve liked you for a while… I never told you cause I didn’t want to mess up our friendship if you didn’t feel the same- telling you today at the game was an accident. A good one, but I wasn’t planning to do it. I just don’t want to stop doing everything we used to just because our relationship changed… That’s what happened with Allura in middle school and it ruined everything- and yeah it was middle school and I’m over it now- but I don’t want that to happen with you. I like you too much to let you go.”

“We don’t have to stop or change anything. It’s like you said, we’re boyfriends who are best friends who kiss and stuff now. Hopefully, we can kiss in front of my asshole teammates who said those shitty things to you earlier. They wouldn’t be happy seeing their captain making out with his hot boyfriend right in front of their faces.”, Keith smirked.

“Shoving my tongue down your throat right in front of Rolo and Lotor? Is it my birthday and I didn’t know?”, Keith laughed and intertwined his hand with Lance’s.

“So we’re trying this?”, He asked hopefully. Lance nodded in response.

“Yeah- we’re trying this.”, And surging forward he kissed Keith once more, he felt the water within his heart, come and wash away the last of the rocks on the sand, leaving behind nothing but a warm beach within himself. This was where he was meant to be, exactly where he was meant to be.


End file.
